CN109643872B

CN109643872B - Connector structure and electricity storage device

Info

Publication number: CN109643872B
Application number: CN201780050678.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 泽田耕一
Original assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-10-28
Filing date: 2017-10-23
Publication date: 2021-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 2037-10-23
Also published as: US11183794B2; CN109643872A; JPWO2018079460A1; WO2018079460A1; JP6883772B2; US20190190203A1

Abstract

A connector structure (1) as an example of an embodiment includes: a first connector unit (40) including a first connector (41) and a first terminal (42); and a second connector unit (50) including a second connector (51) and a second terminal (52). The second connector unit (50) has a positioning pin (61) and an insertion hole (62) into which the positioning pin (61) is inserted. In the connector structure (1), a first connector (41) and a first terminal (42) and a second connector (51) and a second terminal (52) are connectable when a positioning pin (61) is inserted into an insertion hole (62), respectively.

Description

Connector structure and electricity storage device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a connector structure and an electric storage device.

Background

Patent document 1 discloses a connector structure including: in order to prevent fretting corrosion at the electrical contact portion, at least one of the male connector and the female connector is urged in the insertion/extraction direction by the elastic force of the spring. Patent document 2 discloses an electric storage device including a plurality of connectors that are capable of floating in a plane intersecting the direction in which a battery cell is inserted into a battery cell housing portion.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2008-276991

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2013-140710

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in a case where a plurality of connectors are provided on the surfaces facing each other in two connection targets connected by the connectors, it is difficult to align the connectors, and the connectors cannot be connected satisfactorily. For example, in the case where there are two pairs of connectors connected to each other, one of the connectors may be insufficiently connected.

Means for solving the problems

The connector structure of the present disclosure is used for electrically connecting a connector provided on a panel and an electrical device, and includes: a first connector unit including a first connector provided on the panel, and a first terminal provided on a side surface portion of the electrical device disposed to face the panel and connected to the first connector; and a second connector unit including a second connector provided on the panel separately from the first connector, and a second terminal provided on the side surface part separately from the first terminal and connected to the second connector, the second connector unit including: a positioning pin provided on the panel side and extending toward the side surface side of the electrical device than the second connector; and an insertion hole formed in the side surface portion for the positioning pin, wherein the first connector and the first terminal and the second connector and the second terminal are connectable to each other when the positioning pin is inserted into the insertion hole.

The power storage device of the present disclosure includes the connector structure.

Effects of the invention

According to the connector structure of the present disclosure, a plurality of connectors provided on the mutually facing surfaces of two connection objects can be connected quickly and reliably.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electric storage device as an example of the embodiment, as viewed from the front.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an example of the power storage device as viewed from the rear.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a connector structure as an example of the embodiment, as viewed from above the power storage device.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a connector structure as an example of the embodiment, as viewed from the rear of the power storage device.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the second connector unit on the panel side as an example of the embodiment, as viewed from the front of the power storage device.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the second connector unit on the controller side as an example of the embodiment, as viewed from the rear of the power storage device.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a connector structure as an example of the embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining a method of connecting each connector of the connector panel and each terminal of the controller.

Detailed Description

As described above, in the case where a plurality of connectors are provided on the surfaces facing each other in two connection targets connected by using the connectors, it is difficult to align the connectors, and the connectors may not be connected satisfactorily. In particular, when the connection work is performed in a situation where the position of the connector cannot be seen, it is not easy to connect the connectors quickly and reliably. The connector structure according to the present disclosure has been developed in view of the above circumstances, and can quickly and reliably connect a plurality of connectors provided on the surfaces of two connection objects facing each other.

The connector structure of the present disclosure is provided with a first connector unit including a panel-side first connector and a device-side first terminal, and a second connector unit including a panel-side second connector and a device-side second terminal, the second connector unit having a positioning pin and an insertion hole thereof. The first connector portion including the first connector and the first terminal and the second connector portion including the second connector and the second terminal are connectable to each other when the positioning pin is inserted into the insertion hole. In other words, in a state where the positioning pins are not inserted into the insertion holes, the respective connector portions are not connected. Therefore, for example, a poor connection in which the first connector portion is connected and the second connector portion is not connected is suppressed.

The positioning pins are inserted into the insertion holes before the connector portions are connected, and the alignment of the connector portions is automatically completed after the positioning pins are inserted into the insertion holes. That is, it is not necessary to align the plurality of connector portions, and it is only necessary to align the positioning pins and the insertion holes. Therefore, by using the connector structure of the present disclosure, even in a state where the position of the connector cannot be visually checked, the plurality of connectors can be connected quickly and reliably.

Hereinafter, an example of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Since the drawings referred to in the embodiments are schematically illustrated, the dimensions and the like of the components depicted in the drawings should be determined with reference to the following description. In the present specification, the description "substantially" includes not only the case where the description is completely the same but also the case where the description is regarded as substantially the same, in the case of substantially the same example. It is assumed from the beginning that some of the embodiments and modifications described below are used in appropriate combinations with each other.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a direction of an arrow X showing a horizontal direction in fig. 1 and the like is referred to as a "lateral direction", a direction of a horizontal arrow Y orthogonal to the direction of the arrow X is referred to as a "front-rear direction", and a direction of an arrow Z orthogonal to the arrows X and Y is referred to as a "vertical direction" or a "height direction". In the present embodiment, the "front-rear direction" is a direction in which the connector and the terminal constituting each connector portion are inserted and removed, and the "lateral direction" can be said to be a direction orthogonal to the insertion and removal direction and the vertical direction.

Hereinafter, the power storage device 10 including the connector structure 1 as an example of the embodiment is exemplified, but the connector structure of the present disclosure is not limited to the power storage device. The connector configuration of the present disclosure can be applied to connection of various electrical devices to each other. In addition, as the panel of the present disclosure, the connector panel 30 fixed to the chassis 16 of the power storage device 10 is illustrated, but the panel is not limited thereto. The panel of the present disclosure may be a panel constituting a case of a battery module, or may be a panel constituting a case of another electrical device, for example.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of power storage device 10 as an example of the embodiment, as viewed from the front. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of power storage device 10 viewed from the rear. As illustrated in fig. 1 and 2, the power storage device 10 includes a plurality of battery modules 11, a fan 12 that cools each battery module 11, and a controller 13 that controls each battery module 11 and fan 12. The power storage device 10 includes a connector panel 30 provided with a first connector 41 and a second connector 51 (see fig. 3 and the like described later).

As will be described in detail later, cables connected to the battery modules 11 and the fan 12 are connected to the connectors of the connector panel 30. In the present embodiment, a power cable 34, a signal cable 35, and a fan cable 36 are provided as cables. The connector structure 1 (see fig. 3 and the like described later) electrically connects the above-described respective connectors of the connector panel 30 and the respective terminals of the controller 13. The connector structure may be a structure in which a plurality of connectors provided on the panel are electrically connected to the battery module.

The power storage device 10 includes a frame 16 that houses a plurality of battery modules 11 in parallel. In this embodiment, the connector panel 30 is fixed to the chassis 16. The connector panel 30 is preferably fixed to the chassis 16 such that cables connected to the respective connectors extend rearward of the chassis 16. In this case, the controller 13 is disposed on the front side of the power storage device 10 with respect to the connector panel 30. A plurality of power storage devices 10 are provided in parallel in a room, for example. The front side of the power storage device 10 is, for example, the side facing the tunnel, and the rear side is the side opposite to the tunnel.

The battery module 11 housed in the chassis 16 includes a substantially rectangular case having an upper surface that is long in the front-rear direction. The case is made of, for example, a metal or resin case. A plurality of cells are accommodated in the case, for example. Usually, the cells are housed in a battery block, and the battery module 11 includes a plurality of the battery blocks. A lithium ion secondary battery can be exemplified as a suitable battery cell. A control board having functions of controlling input/output power of the battery module, monitoring a battery state, and the like may be provided in the case of the battery module 11.

Between the battery modules 11 housed in the frame 16, a gap 29 is formed that opens toward the front side of the frame 16. Both lateral sides of the gap 29 are closed by side plates 26 described later. The gap 29 functions as a cooling flow path through which air sucked from the front of the chassis 16 by the operation of the fan 12 flows. The air introduced from the front flows backward through the gap 29 and is discharged from an opening (a portion where the fan 12 is attached) of the rear panel 27, which will be described later. In this way, the air flows along the upper and lower surfaces of the battery module 11, thereby cooling the battery module 11.

The frame 16 has a bottom frame 17, a ceiling frame 19, and four

posts

20, 21, 22, 23. The rack 16 can be a standard rack such as a 19-inch rack. The frame 16 preferably has strength that can be endured even when a plurality of heavy battery modules 11 are housed therein, and for example, a frame made of steel is preferably used. In the example shown in fig. 1, 20 battery modules 11 are housed in the rack 16 in parallel in the vertical direction. The number of battery modules 11 housed in one housing 16 is not limited to this.

The bottom frame 17 and the ceiling frame 19 are each formed as a rectangular frame. The bottom frame 17 may be formed by connecting four bottom frames by fastening members such as bolts, or may be integrally formed in advance. Further, a reinforcing frame 18 is disposed along the lateral direction of the frame 16 at the center of the bottom frame 17. Both ends of the reinforcing frame 18 are coupled to the bottom frame 17 by fastening members such as bolts.

The ceiling frame 19 may be configured by connecting four bottom frames by fastening members such as screws or bolts, or may be integrally formed in advance, as in the bottom frame 17. In the present embodiment, the ceiling frame 19 is exemplified as not including a ceiling plate, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a ceiling plate that closes the upper surface of the ceiling frame 19 may be provided by a separate member or integrally provided to reduce the accumulation of dust and the like. Further, the ceiling frame 19 may be provided with a reinforcing frame at the center thereof to increase the strength of the frame structure, as in the case of the bottom frame 17.

The

support columns

20, 21, 22, and 23 are provided upright in correspondence with the corner portions of the four corners of the bottom frame 17 and the ceiling frame 19. The

support columns

20, 21, 22, and 23 are long members extending in the vertical direction. The lower ends and the upper ends of the

pillars

20, 21, 22, and 23 are fastened to the bottom frame 17 and the ceiling frame 19, respectively, by fastening members such as screws or bolts. The bottom frame 17, the ceiling frame 19, and four

support columns

20, 21, 22, and 23 constitute a frame structure of the rack 16.

Among the

support columns

20, 21, 22, 23, two support columns 20, 22 located in front of the frame 16 are formed with a plurality of mounting holes 24 at a predetermined pitch in the vertical direction. A plurality of mounting holes 25 are also formed at a predetermined pitch in the vertical direction in the two

support columns

21 and 23 located at the rear of the frame 16. Hereinafter, the support columns 20 and 22 may be referred to as front support columns, and the

support columns

21 and 23 may be referred to as rear support columns.

A side panel 26 is mounted to the rack 16. For example, the front end of the side panel 26 is fixed to the mounting hole 24 of the front pillar 20 by a screw or the like, and the rear end of the side panel 26 is fixed to the mounting hole 25 of the rear pillar 21 by a screw or the like, on one lateral side surface of the rack 16. A side plate 26 is also attached to the other lateral side surface of the chassis 16. The side panel 26 may be divided into a plurality of parts.

The side plate 26 is formed of, for example, a metal plate, and has a support portion (not shown) bent in a horizontal direction so as to protrude inward of the chassis 16. The side panels 26 forming the lateral sides of the rack 16 are disposed at positions where the support portions project to the same height. Therefore, when the battery module 11 and the controller 13 are inserted into the chassis 16 from the front of the chassis 16 and placed on the two support portions on both lateral sides, the battery module 11 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape is accommodated in a horizontal state. Each battery module 11 housed in the rack 16 is preferably fixed to the side plate 26, each pillar, or the like.

A rear panel 27 is mounted to the rack 16. The rear panel 27 is formed of, for example, a metal plate, as with the side panels 26, but may be partially made of resin. The rear panel 27 is attached to the rear ends of the side panels 26 or the rear stays 21 and 23 by screws or the like, for example. Further, the fan 12 is mounted on the rear panel 27. The fans 12 are preferably provided in plurality in parallel in the vertical direction of the rack 16. The rear panel 27 may be divided into a plurality of parts, and for example, the one lateral side part and the other lateral side part to which the fan 12 is attached may be formed of different members.

A duct space 28 extending in the up-down direction is formed between the rear panel 27 and each battery module 11. The duct space 28 is, for example, a space surrounded by the battery module 11, the side panels 26, and the rear panel 27. Duct space 28 is an exhaust path for air drawn in from the front of power storage device 10, and air flowing through duct space 28 is discharged to the outside of power storage device 10 by fan 12. In addition, cables connected to the respective connectors of the connector panel 30 are arranged in the duct space 28.

On the side surface of the battery module 11 facing the duct space 28, for example, a plurality of terminals are provided to be connected to each of the cells housed in the case of the battery module 11, and to sensors such as a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and a temperature sensor. Between the battery module 11 and the duct space 28, a panel that partitions a wall surface portion of the duct space 28 may be provided. In this case, a plurality of terminals are provided to the panel. The power cable 34 and the signal cable 35 are connected to the respective terminals. For example, the power cables 34 are connected in series between the adjacent battery modules 11. Further, each fan 12 is also provided with a terminal, and is connected to a fan cable 36 in the duct space 28.

A controller 13 and a connector panel 30 are provided on the upper portion of the power storage device 10. A cable such as a power cable 34 drawn out from the upper opening of the duct space 28 is electrically connected to the controller 13 via the connector panel 30. Thus, the controller 13 can perform input/output control of electric power to/from the battery modules 11, for example. Further, it is possible to supply electric power to fan 12 and control the operation of fan 12.

The connector structure 1 for electrically connecting each connector of the connector panel 30 and each terminal of the controller 13 will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 3 to 7. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the connector structure 1 as viewed from above the power storage device 10, and fig. 4 is a perspective view of the connector structure 1 as viewed from behind the power storage device 10.

As illustrated in fig. 3, the controller 13 and the connector panel 30 electrically connected by the connector structure 1 are disposed on a base panel 37 fixed to the upper portion of the chassis 16. The controller 13 and the connector panel 30 may be placed on the upper surface of the battery module 11 housed in the uppermost portion of the rack 16, but are preferably disposed on a base panel 37 that is placed on a support portion of the side panel 26 and fixed to the side panel 26 or the like. In the present embodiment, a connector panel 30 is provided at a central portion in the front-rear direction of the chassis 16.

The connector panel 30 is formed of, for example, a metal plate, and includes a substantially rectangular main wall 31 that is erected on the base panel 37 and extends in the lateral direction of the rack 16, and a fixing portion 32 that extends rearward from the lower end of the main wall 31 along the base panel 37. Further, fixing portions 33 extending rearward along the side panels 26 are provided at both lateral end portions of the main wall portion 31. In the example shown in fig. 3, the connector panel 30 is secured to the chassis 16 by securing the securing portion 32 to the base panel 37 and securing the securing portion 33 to the side panel 26 using screws 38. The connector panel 30 is disposed facing the side surface portion 15 of the controller 13 with a gap therebetween, and the main wall portion 31 and the side surface portion 15 are substantially parallel to each other.

The connector panel 30 is provided with a first connector 41 connected to the power cable 34 and the signal cable 35, and a second connector 51 connected to the fan cable 36. The first connector 41 and the second connector 51 are provided separately in the lateral direction (width direction) of the chassis 16 to the main wall portion 31 of the connector panel 30. The power cable 34, the signal cable 35, and the fan cable 36 extend from the connector panel 30 to the rear of the rack 16, and are inserted into the duct space 28 (see fig. 1).

The connector structure 1 includes a first connector unit 40 and a second connector unit 50. The first connector unit 40 includes: the first connector 41 provided on the connector panel 30; and a first terminal 42 provided on a side surface portion 15 of the housing 14 of the controller 13 disposed to face the connector panel 30. The second connector unit 50 includes: the second connector 51 provided on the connector panel 30 separately from the first connector 41; and a second terminal 52 provided on side surface 15 separately from first terminal 42.

As illustrated in fig. 3 and 4, the first connector 41 constituting the first connector unit 40 is, for example, a male connector, and is fitted into a through hole formed at one lateral side portion of the main wall 31 of the connector panel 30. The through hole is formed slightly larger than the first connector 41 in consideration of the floating described later. The first connector 41 is fixed to the main wall portion 31 with screws 43.

The first terminal 42 constituting the first connector unit 40 is, for example, a female connector fitted to the first connector 41, and is fitted into a through hole formed in one lateral side portion of the side surface portion 15 of the controller 13 disposed to face the main wall portion 31. The through hole is formed slightly larger than the first terminal 42 in consideration of the floating described later. First terminal 42 is fixed to side surface portion 15 with screw 44.

The second connector 51 constituting the second connector unit 50 is, for example, a male connector, and is provided on the base portion 70 on the other lateral side of the main wall portion 31 of the connector panel 30. The base portion 70 is a member supported by a support pin 72 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and is provided on the front surface side of the main wall portion 31 facing the side surface portion 15 of the controller 13. The detailed structure of the base portion 70 and the support pins 72 will be described later. The fan cable 36 connected to the second connector 51 passes through an opening 78 formed in the main wall 31.

The second terminal 52 constituting the second connector unit 50 is, for example, a female connector fitted to the second connector 51, and is fitted into a through hole formed in the other lateral side portion of the side surface portion 15 of the controller 13. The through hole is formed slightly larger than the second terminal 52 in consideration of the floating described later. The second terminal 52 is fixed to the side surface portion 15 by a screw 54.

In the present embodiment, a male connector is applied to the first connector 41 and the second connector 51, and a female connector is applied to the first terminal 42 and the second terminal 52, but the first connector and the second connector may be a female connector, and the first terminal and the second terminal may be a male connector. The first connector 41 may be a male connector and the second connector 51 may be a female connector (in this case, the first terminal 42 is a female connector and the second terminal 52 is a male connector), or vice versa.

The connection between the respective connectors and the respective terminals constituting the connector structure 1 is performed by, for example, moving the controller 13 provided with the respective terminals. As described above, the connector panel 30 is fixed to the side panel 26 and the base panel 37 in the state where the first connector 41 and the second connector 51 are arranged in the lateral direction at the center portion in the front-rear direction of the chassis 16. In the present embodiment, the controller 13 is inserted into the chassis 16 from the front side of the chassis 16 in a state where the connector panel 30 is fixed to the chassis 16, and the terminals on the controller 13 side are connected to the connectors on the connector panel 30 side. In this case, although it is necessary to perform connection in a state in which each connector cannot be visually checked, according to the connector structure 1, as will be described later in detail, the positioning pin 61 and the insertion hole 62 enable quick and reliable connection of a plurality of connectors even in the above-described situation.

The first connector portion constituted by the first connector 41 and the first terminal 42 has a smaller amount of floating in a plane intersecting the insertion/extraction direction of the respective connector portions than the second connector portion constituted by the second connector 51 and the second terminal 52. The insertion/removal direction of each connector portion is a direction in which the controller 13 provided with each terminal is moved when each terminal is inserted into or removed from each connector. Hereinafter, the insertion and extraction direction of each connector portion is referred to as an insertion and extraction direction Y.

The floating (movability) of the first connector portion in the plane intersecting the insertion/removal direction Y can be achieved, for example, by making the hole diameter of the through hole of the first connector 41 through which the screw 43 passes larger than the axial diameter of the screw 43 that fixes the first connector 41 to the main wall portion 31. Alternatively, the floating is achieved by making the hole diameter of the through hole of the second terminal 52 through which the screw 44 passes larger than the shaft diameter of the screw 44 that fixes the second terminal 52 to the side surface part 15, or by applying both structures.

The floating amount of the first connector portion is, for example, at most about 3mm in the vertical direction and the lateral direction. The second connector portion may have a floating structure similar to that of the first connector portion, but the floating amount of the second connector portion is, for example, about 1mm at most in the vertical direction and the lateral direction. The second connector portion has a smaller body size than the first connector portion. In general, it is difficult to increase the floating amount of a small-sized connector, and therefore the floating amount is the first connector portion > the second connector portion.

The second connector unit 50 has a positioning pin 61 provided on the connector panel 30 side and an insertion hole 62 of the positioning pin 61 formed in the side surface part 15 of the controller 13. The positioning pin 61 extends toward the side surface portion 15 side than the second connector 51 (see fig. 5 described later). In the connector structure 1, the first connector 41 and the first terminal 42 (first connector portion) and the second connector 51 and the second terminal 52 (second connector portion) are connectable when the positioning pins 61 are inserted into the insertion holes 62, respectively. In the connector structure 1, if the positioning is performed so that the positioning pins 61 can be inserted into the insertion holes 62 as described above, the connector portions can be connected without performing the positioning of the connector portions.

The positioning pin 61 and the insertion hole 62 are preferably provided on the connector unit side having a connector portion with a small floating amount. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the positioning pins 61 and the insertion holes 62 are provided on the second connector unit 50 side. The positioning pins may be provided on the controller 13 side and the insertion holes may be provided on the connector panel 30 side.

Here, the second connector unit 50 will be described in further detail with reference to fig. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a panel-side second connector unit 50A (hereinafter referred to as "second connector unit 50A") provided on the connector panel 30 side as viewed from the front of the power storage device 10. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the controller-side second connector unit 50B (hereinafter referred to as "second connector unit 50B") provided on the controller 13 side as viewed from the rear of the power storage device 10.

As illustrated in fig. 3 to 6, the positioning pin 61 is an elongated pin extending in the insertion and extraction direction Y, and is inserted into the insertion hole 62 in a state where the connector portions are connected. Of course, the positioning pins 61 are inserted into the insertion holes 62 before the connector portions are connected. In the connector structure 1, the positioning pins 61, the insertion holes 62, the connectors, and the terminal portions are provided so as to be in the above-described state. That is, the positioning pins 61 and the insertion holes 62, the first connector 41 and the first terminals 42, and the second connector 51 and the second terminals 52 are provided at positions facing each other in the main wall 31 of the connector panel 30 and the side surface 15 of the controller 13, which are substantially parallel to each other.

The positioning pins 61 are fixed to the base portion 70, and the base portion 70 is supported by the main wall portion 31 of the connector panel 30 by the support pins 72. The base portion 70 is provided with a stopper 70b that abuts against the side surface portion 15 of the controller 13 in a state where the second connector 51 is fitted to the second terminal 52. The positioning pin 61 extends toward the side surface portion 15 side than the stopper 70 b. Therefore, the positioning pin 61 is inserted into the insertion hole 62 in a state where the stopper 70b abuts against the side surface portion 15.

As described above, the insertion hole 62 is a hole formed in the side surface portion 15 of the housing 14 of the controller 13. The insertion hole 62 may be a hole into which the positioning pin 61 can be inserted, and may be a through hole formed through the side surface portion 15 or a recess formed by press-working the side surface portion 15 from the main wall portion 31 side. The depth of the insertion hole 62, i.e., the length along the insertion and extraction direction Y, is set to the following length: the positioning pins 61 do not contact the deepest portion in a state where the connectors are fitted to the terminal portions and the stoppers 70b are in contact with the side surface portions 15.

As illustrated in fig. 5, the base portion 70 and the support pin 72 that supports the base portion 70 are provided in the second connector unit 50A. The base portion 70 is a member for fixing the second connector 51 and the positioning pins 61 as described above, and is formed of, for example, a metal plate. The support pins 72 are supported so that the base portion 70 can move in the inserting and extracting direction Y with respect to the main wall portion 31 of the connector panel 30. The second connector 51 and the positioning pins 61 fixed to the base portion 70 are also movable in the insertion and extraction direction Y together with the base portion 70.

The base portion 70 is preferably supported by two support pins 72. The two support pins 72 penetrate the main wall portion 31 and are attached to the main wall portion 31 so as to be movable in the insertion and extraction direction Y. The second connector unit 50A further includes a spring 76 that biases the base portion 70 toward the side surface portion 15 of the controller 13. The springs 76 are mounted to the two support pins 72, respectively.

The base portion 70 has: a base main body 70a to which the second connector 51 and the positioning pins 61 are fixed; and stoppers 70b extending from both lateral ends of the base main body 70a toward the controller 13 side along the inserting/extracting direction Y. The stopper 70b is formed by bending a metal plate constituting the base portion 70 so as to extend slightly toward the controller 13 side than the second connector 51, for example. The stoppers 70b abut against the side surface portion 15 when the second connector portion is fitted, and prevent a larger force from being applied to the second connector portion. In the present embodiment, the positioning pin 61 extends further toward the controller 13 than each stopper 70b, and therefore, the insertion of the pin into the insertion hole 62 is not hindered by the stopper 70 b.

The base main body 70a is formed in a laterally long plate shape, and is supported by two support pins 72 so as to be substantially parallel to the main wall portion 31 of the connector panel 30. In the present embodiment, as described later, the positioning pins 61 also contribute to ensuring this parallel supported state of the base main body 70 a. The base body 70a is formed with, for example, a through hole into which the second connector 51 is fitted, a through hole through which the support pin 72 passes, and a through hole through which the positioning pin 61 passes.

In the example shown in fig. 5, the support pin 72 is fixed to the base body 70a by fastening a nut 74 to the controller 13-side distal end portion of the support pin 72 that penetrates the base body 70 a. A screw thread is formed at the distal end of the support pin 72. The distal end portion of the support pin 72 is inserted through a through hole formed at both lateral end portions of the second connector 51, and the nut 74 is tightened so as to press the second connector 51. Thereby, the second connector 51 is fixed to the base body 70a by the support pins 72.

The two support pins 72 are supported by the main wall portion 31 via support members 73 (see fig. 4). The support member 73 is provided in a through hole formed in the main wall portion 31, and supports the support pin 72 in a state where the support pin 72 is movable in the insertion/removal direction Y. An annular member, for example, is attached to the rear front end portion of the support pin 72, and the support pin 72 is configured not to fall off the support member 73.

The spring 76 attached to the support pin 72 is disposed between the main wall portion 31 and the base portion 70, and biases the base portion 70 toward the controller 13. Since the base portion 70 supported by the support pin 72 that slides in the inserting and extracting direction Y is movable in the inserting and extracting direction Y and is biased toward the controller 13 by the spring 76, a positional shift in the inserting and extracting direction Y of each connector portion can be absorbed. That is, in the connector structure 1, the floating amount in the insertion and extraction direction Y of each connector portion is secured to some extent by the structure of the second connector unit 50A.

In the example shown in fig. 5, a recess 77 recessed rearward is formed in a portion of the main wall portion 31 facing the base portion 70. In the recess 77, the opening 78 through which the fan cable 36 connected to the second connector 51 passes is formed, and a through hole through which the support pin 72 passes is also formed. For example, when the connector portions are fitted to each other and the spring 76 is compressed, the recess 77 becomes a space for accommodating the compressed spring 76.

The positioning pin 61 is preferably provided in the vicinity of the second connector 51. The positioning pin 61 may be arranged in parallel with the second connector 51 in the lateral direction as long as it is in the vicinity of the second connector 51, but is preferably arranged in parallel with the second connector 51 in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the second connector 51 is provided at the lower portion of the base portion 70, and the positioning pins 61 are provided at the upper portion of the base portion 70 and are arranged in the vertical direction. The positioning pin 61 is positioned vertically above the second connector portion 51.

The positioning pins 61 are provided substantially perpendicular to the front surface of the base main body 70a facing the side surface portion 15 of the controller 13, and extend from the front surface toward the side surface portion 15 side. In the example shown in fig. 5, the positioning pin 61 is fixed to the widthwise central portion at the upper portion of the base main body 70 a. In addition, the support pins 72 that fix the second connector 51 are fixed to both lateral sides at the lower portion of the base main body 70a, respectively. The positioning pin 61 extends through the base body 70a toward the main wall portion 31 side and passes through an opening 78 formed in the main wall portion 31.

The positioning pin 61 is formed, for example, such that a portion thereof located on the front surface side of the base main body 70a is larger in diameter than a through hole through which the pin passes. On the other hand, the portion of the positioning pin 61 on the rear surface side of the base main body 70a is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the through hole. The positioning pin 61 can be fixed to the base main body 70a by forming a screw in a portion of the positioning pin 61 on the rear surface side of the base main body 70a and tightening a nut from the rear surface side. The length of the portion of the positioning pin 61 extending from the rear surface of the base main body 70a toward the main wall portion 31 is substantially the same as the length of the support pin 72, for example, and is set to a length extending rearward of the main wall portion 31 through the opening 78 even when the spring 76 is extended.

The positioning pin 61 inserted through the opening 78 abuts against an upper edge of the opening 78 and is pressed by the upper edge so as not to be lifted while being movable in the inserting/removing direction Y. The main wall 31 may be formed with a flange 79 extending rearward in the insertion/removal direction Y from an upper edge of the opening 78. In this case, the positioning pin 61 inserted through the opening 78 abuts against the flange 79 and is pressed by the flange 79 from above so as not to be lifted. Thus, the base portion 70 is supported at three points by the two support pins 72 and the one positioning pin 61, and the base main body 70a is supported substantially in parallel with the main wall portion 31.

The positioning pin 61 has a shape in which a tip diameter thereof decreases as it approaches the front end of the controller 13 side and becomes thinner. The controller 13 side tip portion 61s of the positioning pin 61 is formed in a substantially conical shape with a diameter gradually reduced so that the tip is positioned at the center of the pin. When the tip portion 61s is formed to have such a tapered shape, the tip portion 61s is inserted into the insertion hole 62, and then centering effect is obtained, so that alignment becomes easier.

As illustrated in fig. 6, the second connector unit 50B includes second terminals 52 and insertion holes 62 arranged in parallel in the vertical direction on the side surface portion 15 of the controller 13. As described above, the second terminal 52 is fixed to the side surface portion 15 by the screw 54. The second terminal 52 has a floating structure in which the floating amount in a plane intersecting the insertion/extraction direction Y is about 1mm, for example.

The insertion hole 62 may be a through hole formed in the side surface portion 15 as it is, but in the present embodiment, the insertion hole 62 is formed by attaching the receiving member 63 to the peripheral edge of the through hole. The receiving member 63 is fixed to the side surface portion 15 by a screw 64. The insertion hole 62 formed in the receiving member 63 is a long hole that is long in the vertical direction. The insertion hole 62 may be a circular hole, but it is preferable to form such a long hole in consideration of the vertical positional displacement between the positioning pin 61 and the insertion hole 62.

In the above-described embodiment, the number of the sets of the positioning pins 61 and the insertion holes 62 is one, but two or more sets may be provided. The number of connector portions is not limited to two, and three or more connector portions may be provided.

Here, a connection method of the connector structure 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the connector structure 1, and connection steps are shown in (a) to (c).

As shown in fig. 7 (a), first, the controller 13 is inserted into the chassis 16 such that the side surface portion 15 of the housing 14 of the controller 13 provided with the first terminals 42 and the second terminals 52 faces the main wall portion 31 side of the connector panel 30 and is substantially parallel to the main wall portion 31. Since the controller 13 is mounted on the base panel 37 to which the connector panel 30 is fixed and the insertion hole 62 is a vertically long hole, the positioning pin 61 and the insertion hole 62 are easily aligned in the vertical direction. That is, attention should be paid to the lateral alignment.

In particular, the transverse alignment is carried out such that: the side surface part 15 of the controller 13 is brought close to the connector panel 30, and the positioning pins 61 fixed to the base body 70a of the base part 70 are inserted into the insertion holes 62 formed in the side surface part 15 of the controller 13. As shown in fig. 7 (a), when the positioning pins 61 are inserted into the insertion holes 62, the positioning of the connector portions is automatically completed. Therefore, when the controller 13 is moved toward the connector panel 30 along the inserting and extracting direction Y in a state where the positioning pins 61 are inserted into the insertion holes 62, the connector portions are connected as shown in fig. 7 (b) and (c).

As shown in fig. 7 (b) and (c), in the connector structure 1, after the second connector 51 and the second terminal 52 of the second connector unit 50 are connected, the first connector 41 and the first terminal 42 of the first connector unit 40 are connected. By connecting the connector portions from the second connector portion having a small floating amount in a plane intersecting the insertion/extraction direction Y, the connector portions can be smoothly connected. After the first connector portion is connected, the positioning pin 61 is inserted deeply into the insertion hole 62, and the stopper 70b of the base portion 70 is brought into contact with the side surface portion 15.

When the controller 13 approaches the connector panel 30 in a state where the connection of the first connector portion is completed, the spring 76 is compressed, and the base portion 70 moves toward the main wall portion 31. Since the positioning of the first connector portion is completed, when the controller 13 is moved in the inserting and extracting direction Y in this state, the first connector portion is connected. As described above, according to the connector structure 1, even if the position of each connector portion cannot be visually checked, the plurality of connector portions can be connected quickly and reliably.

Description of reference numerals:

1 a connector configuration; 10 an electrical storage device; 11 a battery module; 12 a fan; 13 a controller; 14 a housing; 15 side surface parts; 16 a frame; 17 a bottom frame; 18 reinforcing the frame; 19 a ceiling frame; 20. 21, 22, 23 struts; 24. 25 mounting holes; 26 side panels; 27 a rear panel; 28 duct space; 29 gaps; 30 a connector panel; 31 a main wall portion; 32. 33 a fixing part; 34 a power cable; 35 a signal cable; 36 fan cables; 37 a base panel; 38 a screw; 40 a first connector unit; 41 a first connector; 42 a first terminal; 43. 44 screws; 50a second connector unit; a 50A panel-side second connector unit; a 50B controller-side second connector unit; 51 a second connector; 52 a second terminal; 54 screws; 61 positioning pins; 61s front end portion; 62 into the hole; 63 receiving a member; 64 screws; 70a base portion; 70a substrate body; 70b a stopper; 72 a support pin; 73 a support member; 74 a nut; 76 springs; 77 a recess; 78 an opening part; 79 flange portion.

Claims

1. A connector structure for electrically connecting a connector provided on a panel to an electrical device, the connector structure comprising:

a first connector unit including a first connector provided on the panel, and a first terminal provided on a side surface portion of the electrical device disposed to face the panel and connected to the first connector; and

a second connector unit including a second connector provided on the panel separately from the first connector, and a second terminal provided on the side surface part separately from the first terminal and connected to the second connector,

the second connector unit has: a positioning pin provided on the panel side and extending toward the side surface side of the electrical device than the second connector; and an insertion hole of the positioning pin formed in the side surface portion,

the first connector and the first terminal and the second connector and the second terminal are connectable to each other when the positioning pin is inserted into the insertion hole,

the first connector section including the first connector and the first terminal has a smaller amount of floating in a plane intersecting with the insertion/removal direction of each connector section than the second connector section including the second connector and the second terminal.

2. The connector configuration of claim 1,

the positioning pin has a shape in which a tip of a diameter decreasing as approaching the front end becomes thinner.

3. The connector configuration of claim 1,

the insertion hole is an elongated hole that is long in the up-down direction.

4. A connector structure for electrically connecting a connector provided on a panel to an electrical device, the connector structure comprising:

the second connector unit has:

a base portion to which the second connector and the positioning pin are fixed;

a support pin that supports the base section on the panel so as to be movable in an insertion/removal direction;

a spring that urges the base portion toward the side surface portion of the electrical device;

an opening formed in the panel; and

a flange portion extending from an upper edge portion of the opening portion in the insertion and extraction direction,

the positioning pin penetrates the base portion and penetrates the opening portion to abut against the flange portion.

5. The connector configuration of claim 4,

the support pins are respectively fixed on two lateral sides at the lower part of the base part,

the positioning pin is fixed to the lateral center portion at an upper portion of the base portion.

6. The connector configuration of claim 4,

7. The connector configuration of claim 4,

the insertion hole is an elongated hole that is long in the up-down direction.

8. An electrical storage device having the connector structure according to claim 1 or 4.

9. The power storage device according to claim 8,

the power storage device includes:

a plurality of battery modules;

a fan that cools each of the battery modules;

a controller that controls each of the battery modules and the fan; and

the panel provided with the first connector and the second connector,

cables connected to the battery modules and the fan are connected to the first connector and the second connector of the panel, respectively,

the connector arrangement electrically connects the first and second connectors of the panel with the controller.

10. The power storage device according to claim 8,

the power storage device includes:

a plurality of battery modules; and

the panel provided with the first connector and the second connector,

the connector configuration electrically connects the first and second connectors of the panel with the battery module.

11. The power storage device according to claim 9,

the power storage device includes a frame for housing the plurality of battery modules in parallel,

the panel is fixed to the frame.

12. The power storage device according to claim 11,

the panel is fixed to the rack such that cables respectively connected to the first connector and the second connector extend rearward of the rack.